- Surfshark Research found 10 countries imposed internet -Blackouts in the first half of 2025
- A total of 24 Internet restrictions were recorded in the first half of 2025, where India was the worst perpetrator
- Increased Internet Censor has seen the demand for bypassing tools such as VPNs increased
Government -related Internet restrictions have increased in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. New research from Surfshark identified 10 countries introduced 24 Internet restrictions to date this year, up from 20 restrictions in nine countries that took place in the same period in 2024.
Specifically, statistics from Surfshark indicate that Internet users in India faced more restrictions than any other country between January and June 2025. The authorities in India have used section 5 (1). 2, in the Telegraph Act, 1885, to cut Internet access in the event of a public emergency. Five shutdowns took place in India in the first half of 2025 in the middle of nationwide protests.
Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers in the market right now, has mapped internet shutdowns since 2015. Disorders range from full Internet -Blackouts to censorship of specific social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to VOIP services such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
Protests and political turmoil are common causes of restrictions
“Over the years, governments have used internet closures to control and silent journalists, activists and the public,” said Justas Pukys, VPN product manager at Surfshark.
Statistics show that disruptions in local network connection affecting a city or region are more common than national shutdowns. So far, Surfshark has registered 558 local disruptions around the world compared to 124 nationwide shutdowns, where protests and political turmoil are the most common causes, followed by elections.
At the time of writing, 24 of 196 countries and territories are blocking by surf shark, social media platforms and VOIP services, where Telegram is the most blocked.
In January 2025, Telegram was blocked in Venezuela for five days, with authorities even looking to block popular VPN providers as citizens tried to bypass the disturbance. Recently in May 2025, Vietnam blocked access to telegram with the authorities who claimed that the platform had not cooperated with them to stop crimes.
During the first half of 2025, two countries introduced restrictions for the first time since Surfshark’s Internet shutdown tracking began. Albania issued one year’s ban on card -shaped video platform Tiktok with reference to child security concerns. Panama authorities announced an emergency due to civil unrest in Bocas del Toro, resulting in a regional internet shutdown.
Rising censorship mirrors growing VPN usage
Surfshark notes that Iran has had three Internet restrictions to date this year.
It is no coincidence that VPN use in the country spiked more than 700% in June 2025, as citizens seemed to access the Internet as usual. This despite coordinated efforts by Iran’s government to block and even ban VPNs.
“Internet -Blackouts can be dangerous, especially during critical events such as elections, protests or other political turmoil. Losing Internet access makes it more difficult to keep in touch with family members, access critical news sites and share urgent information with the world of unfolding events,” Pukys said.
A virtual private network (VPN) takes your device’s internet traffic and routes it through a secure, encrypted tunnel. It also hides your real IP address so you can be falsified your location. This means that you can not only be unparalleled Internet restrictions but prevent snoopians from seeing what you are doing on the Internet.
